Responsible Reflections Blog

This year, during National Chemistry Week, we’re reminded just how much sticking with chemistry is keeping us together, while apart. For NACD and our members, we have always known the incredible power and impact that chemistry has on our daily lives, but even I have been blown away this year observing how critical our industry is to the vitality of America’s supply chain and to our ability to persevere in the midst of a global pandemic.   

Led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), this October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. This campaign represents a vital partnership between government and industry. Now in its 17th year, Cybersecurity Month aims to raise cybersecurity awareness across the United States, helping all Americans access resources to stay safe and secure online while empowering the public to own their role in cybersecurity and increasing our nation’s resilience to cyber threats.

In just a few weeks’ time, we look forward to welcoming you to our 49^th Annual Meeting – albeit in a slightly different format this year. Given the current situation and the social distancing rules, we’ve reluctantly decided to move the event from the sun-drenched foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains in La Quinta, CA, to the comfort of your desk.

We’re now nine months into the 7th Cycle of Responsible Distribution, but despite our best laid plans, it’s hardly gone as expected this year. As the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted every facet of our lives, NACD has worked hard to adapt to the ever-changing situation.

Nowadays it's never been so important to stay connected — both to our friends and families, but also to our peers in the workplace and across the chemical distribution industry. Collaboration is an important part of what we do, and continued learning is key to staying current on all the latest changes, regulations, and business opportunities facing our industry. In that spirit, NACD has long offered webinars to provide ongoing education around important issues. Recently, we’ve started charging a nominal fee to participate in these educational opportunities, and I wanted to spend some time explaining why.

We’re less than two months away from election day and this contest is poised to have big implications for chemical distributors across America. The coronavirus pandemic has forced campaigns to reimagine how they reach voters during this public health crisis, and it is likely to play a key role in the outcome of the election. No matter who you support — or how you plan on voting — it’s important to show up on election day and make your voice heard by voting.

For many of our members, working from home is a relatively new concept. After all, managing and distributing chemical products in a timely, effective, and safe manner means that facilities can never fully close. Unfortunately, the current COVID crisis means the entire industry is having to get used to the idea.

Even though we haven’t been able to physically welcome our members to Washington D.C. this year to walk the halls of Capitol Hill and meet our lawmakers, we’re excited to be able to invite you to our first ever Virtual Fly-In.

With COVID-19 hampering our advocacy efforts, it’s vital we continue to engage with our elected officials and agency representatives as much as we possibly can – even if not in person. But while this rescheduled event will obviously be slightly different from the usual two-day format, and will instead be condensed into a single afternoon, there will still be plenty to talk about.